Employees at the Conemaugh Health System are hopeful that donating the gift of life will be among people’s New Year’s resolutions in 2012.
Conemaugh will hold its first ever Community Blood Drive on Saturday, January 14, 2012 from 9am to 3pm, in the third floor of the F-Building, which is located across the street from Conemaugh Memorial’s main entrance on Franklin Street. Free parking is available across the street in the South Parking Garage. The Blood drive is a collaborative effort between Conemaugh and the American Red Cross.
“We know that our patients need for blood products is great and we want to make sure our health system does our part to ensure the blood supply is there when our patients need it,” says Lary Koval, Director of Laboratory Services at Conemaugh Memorial. “Last year more than 7-thousand units of blood were given to 2,814 patients at Conemaugh Memorial. This is a great opportunity for Conemaugh Health System employees, their family and friends and the community to come out and help our future patients.”
Statistics show Leukemia, Bone Marrow and Cancer patients are the leading users of blood at 18%, followed by 15% due to Gastrointestinal blood loss, 14% for Orthopedic and Urologic Surgery and 12% for Trauma patients.
In addition to the actual blood collection, the event on the 14th will also include health and wellness opportunities for the community including free blood pressure screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations and a fun area for children. “Our goal is to make this a great day for all who attend,” says April Behory, Director of Community Wellness at Conemaugh Memorial. “We want people to benefit from their generosity, so many informative and fun activities are being planned.”
Anyone who would like to schedule a time to donate blood is invited to call the Conemaugh Blood Bank at (814) 534-9805.
For more information on being a blood donor, please visit redcrossblood.org.
About Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center (MMC), the flagship hospital of the Conemaugh Health System, is a regional referral hospital known for clinical excellence. Memorial has received HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence award for 2011, 2009, 2008 and 2007, for clinical outcomes which are among the Top 5% in the nation. Memorial’s maternity program recently earned the Distinguished Hospital Excellence Award for the second year in a row. Only two hospitals in the state of Pennsylvania have earned this designation. Learn more at the Conemaugh Health System’s all new website, www.conemaugh.org.
